SPECIFIC SENSITIVITY TO FOODS AS A FACTOR IN VARIOUS TYPES OF ECZEMATOUS DERMATITIS

Abstract

MANY observers¹ have reported cases of chronic, recurrent, vesicular eruptions of the hands due to various food allergens. Other authors,² who have written on the problem of eczematous dermatitis of the hands, designated by various terms such as "chronic eczematoid dermatitis of the hands" and "recurrent vesicular eruptions of the hands," have listed food allergy as one of the infrequent and relatively unimportant etiologic factors. Stokes,³ in particular, emphasized the concept that such eruptions of the hands, as well as chronic eczematous dermatitis at other sites, are often due to multiple etiologic factors. He stressed the importance of a "factorial analysis" in the study of such patients and included food allergy among the various etiologic considerations. In 1946, Rowe⁴ reported a series of 80 patients (42 per cent of 182 patients with eruptions of the hands) with "atopic dermatitis of the hands" due